Published 5:30 am, Monday, September 20, 2010

AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City is one of the top facilities at the Class AAA level.

AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City is one of the top facilities at the Class AAA level.

Photo: J. PAT CARTER, AP

Astros formalize Class-AAA deal with Oklahoma City

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WASHINGTON — Geographically, at least, the Astros found the next best thing.

Four days after their former Class AAA affiliate — the Round Rock Express — signed a deal with the Texas Rangers, the Astros went into business with the Oklahoma City RedHawks. The clubs made official Monday a two-year deal that will make Oklahoma City the home of the Astros’ top minor league club.

The Astros also extended their player development contract with short-season Class A Tri-City through 2012.

With most Class AAA teams locked into player development contracts, the choices were limited for the Astros, with Las Vegas likely the other option. But they ended up in a place that gives them relative geographic proximity (roughly 450 miles from Houston) and one of the best facilities in the minor leagues.

It also takes them back to the home of their top affiliate from the inception of the franchise in 1962 through 1972.

“There’s a rich tradition of baseball in Oklahoma City, with strong ties to the Astros, so we expect great things in Oklahoma City,” owner Drayton McLane said in a statement.

On Sept. 15, the day before teams that were not renewing affiliations could sign new ones, the RedHawks changed ownership. The team is now owned by Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC, which owns six minor league teams, including the Rangers’ Class AA affiliate in Frisco.

Astros baseball operations personnel used their Thursday off day last week to meet with the Mandalay group about the business and baseball aspects and got a deal in place over the weekend.

“The Mandalay Baseball people we met with are really dedicated to doing it the right way,” Astros general manager Ed Wade said.

The Astros had been in Round Rock since 2000, including the past six years as a Class AAA club. They will be in Oklahoma City in 2011 and 2012, playing in the same division of the Pacific Coast League as Round Rock.

In extending the deal with Tri-City, which was all but a sure thing, the Astros are continuing what is a nine-season relationship between Houston and the Troy, N.Y., club.

Tri-City had been struggling on the field, playing sub-.400 baseball each year from 2007-09. But this year, the club featuring largely 2010 draft picks out of college won its first New York-Penn League title and set an attendance record.

“At one point in time, we weren’t sure that they wanted us back because of the way we’ve played recently,” Wade said.

But Wade went up to Troy with assistant general manager of scouting Bobby Heck for a ValleyCats playoff game this month and began working out a deal.